Gummy bears are tasty, but did you know they are also used to determine color and light properties? Use the activity as a way to demonstrate light absorption, light reflection, and refraction with high schooler. Pupils conduct small experiments using a laser pointer and gummy bears to demonstrate various light properties and correlate their findings in a group-led discussion and assessment.

Concepts

light, energy, colors, absorption

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Have the class research commercially-used solar cells; discuss the important aspects of these and how effective they are in providing energy
• Challenge students to perform the experiment on materials of various densities and discuss what differences they observe and why 

Classroom Considerations

• Help ELLs with open-ended assessment questions 

Pros

• Specifically designed for NGSS standards without requiring adaptations
• With the exception of gummies, the necessary materials are easily found and simple to store for continued use

Cons

• None